Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/65

Rh derives its name from an adjacent cliff containing two natural apertures, through which the superstitious villagers believe it impossible for a criminal to pass, and that if any one succeeds in entering in at one and coming out at the other he is sure to obtain a good wife when he is in need of one.

After resting an hour we travelled over a wild and barren country, and at 3 put up at Kangal, a village containing twelve Armenian and twenty Mussulman families. The former have lately rebuilt their little church, and invited a priest from a large monastery about four hours distant to reside among them. On account of the heavy falls of snow in this district the houses are built very low and partly under ground. They generally consist of one room, which is shared by the villagers and their cattle. The poor people willingly resigned to us their portion of the apartment, but as they could not dislodge their animals we had to pass the night in close contact with sheep, goats, mules, and asses.

Oct. 14th.—After going six hours over a barren country we reached the miserable Mohammedan village of Alaja Khan, the limit of the pashalic of Siwâs. The day after we traversed a district called Soofoolalloo, cultivated by Kizil-bash Turcomans, the followers of HussimHussein [sic], and in seven hours reached Hasan Tcelebi, where we put up for the night. Wishing rather to spend Sunday among Christians than among Mussulmans, we left the latter place very early in the morning, and in four hours came to Hekim Khan. To our great disappointment we heard that most of the Christians had been obliged to quit the village on account of the continued tyranny and oppression of their Mohammedan neighbours. Only twelve out of forty Armenian families now remained in the place, and their abject condition bespoke the harsh treatment which they had received from their infidel masters. Poor people! they looked up to us with hopeful interest, and entreated that we would do something to relieve their misery.

Towards the evening, we visited their little church: it was such a place as we may imagine the early Christians to have worshipped in, when they were obliged to resort to caves and dens of the earth, to conceal their persons and sacred rites from the fury of their heathen persecutors. Like the rest of the